India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak dismissed suggestions that Pakistan’s strategy against Abhishek Sharma paid off in the previous game, where the attacking opener fell for a duck. His remarks followed Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson’s remarks about targeted planning for the two left-handed openers of India. Kotak, however, played down that narrative, stating the dismissal was simply the result of a mistimed shot — something, he implied, cannot be pre-scripted or engineered through strategy alone. Abhishek, projected as India’s X-factor for the T20 World Cup, hasn’t quite delivered on the early hype. His campaign has also been disrupted by fitness setbacks, including a stomach infection that led to hospitalisation and ruled him out of the Namibia fixture.
He was dismissed for a duck in the tournament opener, and just as he looked to reset, illness sidelined him for the next match. Although he returned for the high-pressure clash against Pakistan, the comeback didn’t go to plan, as he was dismissed without scoring yet again, making it two scoreless outings in as many appearances.
Defending the young opener amid talk of opposition strategies targeting him, coach Kotak said that teams openly admitting to plans against Abhishek only highlight his growing impact, adding that such focus is a compliment, not a concern.
“First of all, a lot of credit to Abhishek if teams are openly saying they have specific plans for him and are happy when they get him out; he must be doing very well for them to be so concerned about him. We plan as well, and he also comes up with his own ideas. I genuinely don’t think in this sport you can plan that ‘he will get out at short mid‑on’. In the last game he got out with the ball hitting the top of the bat, that’s fine. If teams are that worried about him, that is a great sign for us and great credit to him for the way he is playing,” Kotak said in the press conference.
“Abhishek Sharma has a clear plan and a clear mindset”
He further highlighted Abhishek’s contributions before his illness, stressing that in T20 cricket, even quickfire 30-run cameos can be crucial. He emphasised the team’s focus on collective performance rather than singling out players, underlining that maintaining form, a clear plan, and the right mindset matter more than occasional dismissals.
“Before he fell ill, Abhishek had scored runs in the earlier matches. In T20s, sometimes even 30 off 10 balls is just as important, so it is not as if he has not contributed. Honestly, we focus on all our batters and all our players. We don’t pick one player and say ‘he hasn’t scored’. In T20s it is a high‑risk game, someone or the other will get out. If we stress too much about that, it puts unnecessary pressure on the players. He is in good form, he has a clear plan and a clear mindset, and that is what matters to us,” he added.
